RidePods is the first iPhone game you control with AirPods

Weave done postulation by conscionable moving your caput from broadside to side. | Image: Apple

Developer Ali Tanis has released the archetypal crippled for iPhones and iPads that’s played utilizing Apple’s AirPods arsenic a wearable question controller. The RidePods – Race with Head gameplay is comparatively basal – you’re conscionable steering a motorcycle done oncoming postulation astatine precocious speeds – but alternatively of swiping the surface oregon tiling your phone, you power the bike’s movements by tilting your caput from side-to-side portion wearing AirPods.

The crippled lone works with Apple’s wireless headphones that enactment Spatial Audio including the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max, and the 3rd and 4th procreation AirPods. Spatial Audio relies connected the accelerometer and gyroscope included successful those AirPods models to way the movements of your caput and set the presumption of the audio accordingly. Tanis announced the game’s merchandise connected Y Combinator and portion they said they had to reverse technologist the Spatial Audio diagnostic to marque their crippled work, Apple does supply developers with entree to headphone question data truthful they tin incorporated features similar fittingness tracking into their apps.

RidePods isn’t the astir polished iOS oregon iPadOS crippled I’ve ever played. There are random graphical glitches specified arsenic the roadworthy occasionally disappearing, and from the constricted magnitude of clip I’ve spent dodging postulation it appears that you’re racing connected a cleanable straightaway that ne'er curves. It feels much similar a tech demo than a afloat realized game, but the controls are amazingly nuanced. I tested it with the 2nd procreation AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max and utilizing my caput to steer felt some much earthy and responsive than I thought it would be. 

The motorcycle responds good to subtle movements, adjacent erstwhile utilizing conscionable a azygous AirPod earbud. If you crook disconnected Automatic Head oregon Ear Detection successful your AirPods’ settings, you tin adjacent usage your headphones oregon a azygous AirPods earbud arsenic a handheld controller, but it requires a batch much finesse with your movements and decidedly ups the challenge.

The app includes a mounting for controlling the motorcycle’s braking and acceleration by tilting your caput forwards and back, but I couldn’t observe that having immoderate discernible effect connected the bike’s speed. You tin besides toggle betwixt a first-person and third-person presumption of the riderless motorcycle, and for those wanting to stock their precocious scores with the world, the app includes a grounds relation that captures some the gameplay and a selfie video of you playing successful a azygous clip.

RidePods – Race with Head isn’t a crippled I’m going to instrumentality to frequently, but I tin spot the imaginable of utilizing headphone question controls for mobile gaming. It’s wholly free, but I would decidedly wage a tidy sum for a hands-free mentation of Solitaire that lets maine determination astir stacks of cards utilizing thing but subtle caput gestures and motions.